The present invention relates to fishing implements and more particularly to a portable fishing rod holder for supporting one or more fishing rods.
A search of the prior art failed to uncover any prior art reference which discloses the fishing rod holder of the present invention. A number of prior art patents were uncovered which disclose a variety of fishing rod holder and support devices. The following is a listing of the prior art patents uncovered during the aforementioned search:
U.S. Pat. No. 567,084
U.S. Pat. No. 1,435,085
U.S. Pat. No. 2,160,499
U.S. Pat. No. 2,448,752
U.S. Pat. No. 2,596,403
U.S. Pat. No. 2,674,426
U.S. Pat. No. 2,680,924
U.S. Pat. No. 2,877,828
U.S. Pat. No. 4,017,998
It will be apparent from the above-listed patents that the fishing art has not been responsive to the need for a simple fishing rod holder suitable for effectively supporting a pair of fishing rods or poles of various designs. Typically, the prior art devices are characterized by a number of relatively movable components, detachable parts and fasteners which are highly susceptible to malfunction, breakage, loss or misplacement. Thus, a primary drawback of the prior art fishing rod holders and one suspected reason for the lack of any significant commerical success for such fishing rod holders is their relative complexity of design. Such complexity results in a rather expensive product which the average fisherman is unwilling to expend. Moreover, many of the prior art devices are cumbersome and unwieldy and are not suited for ready transportation, for example, in a fishing tackle box.